Road Warrior: A Tale of Gratitude
Philosophical Introspection & Contemplation
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. Psalm 146: 5-7 NRSVCE Bible
I travel a lot for work. I am responsible for the ground equipment at several airports. All of them are 2 to 4 hours away from home. As a result I get many hours of deep silent and prayerful contemplation.
After many hours, simple things like trees, grass, open fields, the sky, the earth, even rocks have stories to tell. But the trip I am currently on in particular is turning out to be an adventure.
I left home this time with a simple mission. Pack everything. Spend nothing. —With one exception: perishable food items. Immediately after leaving, I started to think things through; and, realized I had forgotten a lot of key items to throw in my duffle bag. So I’m now contemplating what I am going to do: Am I actually going to destroy my fingers and finger nails trying to break open a seal on a mason jar of salmon and it eat straight up like sardines tonight? Eeeessh…
Yet, as I have mentioned in a previous article, in 2022 I have been inspired, and I have begun to assimilate equipment for the purposes of camping, (aka roughing it, bugging out, etc…) These items are kept in a modest backpack. No it’s not something I’d take up Everest, but for now, its getting the job done. For some strange reason I had the thought to actually bring this thing with me before leaving. I don’t always do this. (Now I know I should). So, for some reason unknown to me — but probably known to my Holy Guardian Angel. I take off with this bag full of a whopping 25 pounds of gear.
So, on this night in question I find myself at the end of a long day. (I was up at 04:45 in the am it is now going on 19:00-ish in the evening). I am completely wiped because today was a day that I observed a prayerful and contemplative fast as part of the E5 movement. (e5men.org). I am slated to arrive at my hotel with a vast amount of canned salmon, but with no pop top can opener, no bowl to mix up my salmon salad in to make a sandwich, and of course no utensils. Because well you know, my memory isn’t getting any better with age.
I swing by a local grocery store cause — you know, perishables… I manage to find a small box of super thin disposable birch wood forks. Cool! Nope, never mind the spoon, cause — you know, I’m too stingy for that. Smallest jar of mayo in the store; check! And, away we go.
The Hotel Room
I’ve entered this space so many times in the last seven years running around with the airline. But this time it was different. This time I was entering in my sacred space. I was a man on a mission. I was going to eat without spending another penny on anything, or continue to starve till the next morning’s free breakfast buffet.
Now then I open my bag of camping gear and unpack everything. Hmmm. I quickly realize even though I had forgot all the stuff I am comfortable working with I am carrying amazing tools with me where ever I am carrying this crazy 25 pound sack of stuff.
Right, so it wasn’t my nice extra extra wide dollar store bowl I use to mix my salad at home. But I did have a billy-pot with me. (Spoiler Alert: Formal Tool Review of this billy-pot coming soon). I was also now armed with 25 little wooden birch forks. I was also armed with a mid-price range multitool. Sure, It wasn’t my super cool pop top from home. But it had a tool to open the canned salmon just fine. My hash brown potatoes that I like to dump boiling water from my kettle at home. Yeah, the Keurig in the hotel room combined with a blessing of scalding … seriously… scalding water directly from the tap got me water near boiling without a kettle. Throw in a granola bar, and several giant handfuls of trail mix and hey guess what. Mission accomplished.
The Takeaway
I learned a great deal watching the TV show Alone. I’m not necessarily looking for ways to challenge myself, but I certainly am beginning to grin when they come. I don’t have much of a choice, as they seem to just keep coming these days. Breaking point? Sure, we all have one, I am not about to start gloating that I am bullet proof. But buddy, let me tell you something. After 15ish hours on the go, and nearly 24 hours without eating, I was one grateful dood to put food in my belly. I’ll boast in God, in a spirit of gratitude, for giving me the gear, and the resourcefulness needed to get me through this…
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1: 27-31 NRSVCE Bible
The only other time I was so overwhelmed by the simplicity of a humble meal, was after my appendectomy back in 2010. — Coles Notes Version: my bowel was paralized for a while post-op, I had a tube down my nose pumping out my bowels, and I was not allowed to eat anything for three days. When they finally ripped that thing out of me and let me eat something, I cried over the taste of strawberry Jello.
Eating is something most of us are guilty of taking for granted. I can’t understand why people do not understand how deeply ritualistic our eating habits are. Think about it. The prep, the tools, the methods, the recipes, the table, the fine silver, the lighting, … all of it. It has very profound meaning. —And, I guarantee this: if you live your entire life eating Hot Pockets in front of a television, you will never learn or discover what eating a meal can really teach you. Especially about your character, your breaking points, and your limitations.
And I can't wait to get on the road again On the road again Goin' places that I've never been Seein' things that I may never see again And I can't wait to get on the road again On the Road Again - Willie Nelson